


Hooks, Masks, Trains, and Secrets

by wheatboyapologist



Series: Ba Sing Se Oneshots [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ba Sing Se, Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), M/M, i guess, jet is kind of a dick in this one, let the boys do some more liberating, poor smellerbee, zuko is still a horrible liar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29845950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheatboyapologist/pseuds/wheatboyapologist
Summary: "You've heard of the Blue Spirit?" Zuko asks belatedly, amazed that stories of his stunt at Pohuai had traveled this far.Jet looks at him like he's grown a second head. "'Of course I've heard of him. Who hasn't? He's kind of a legend, at this point."Or, Zuko is an impulsive idiot, Jet is also an impulsive idiot, and Smellerbee is tired. Inspired bythis tweet
Relationships: Jet & Zuko (Avatar), Jet/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Ba Sing Se Oneshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2194209
Comments: 6
Kudos: 90





	Hooks, Masks, Trains, and Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a series now. I've decided that we were robbed of these two hanging out and causing trouble in Ba Sing Se, so I'll be writing these oneshots set loosely in the same alternate universe (for now). Think of it as, like, a sitcom or a tv show. 
> 
> Enjoy!

So maybe Zuko doesn't mind hearing Jet talk. Maybe he thinks he has a nice voice. _Maybe_. 

But that doesn't mean he's going to actually _listen_ to what he's saying, dammit. He's got too much pride to admit that Jet has a way of speaking that just draws him in. And not just him, too, if the girls (and boys) that come to Pao's tea shop and giggle whenever Jet makes a snarky comment are any indication. 

Zuko's on lunch break, now, and the two of them are sitting at a table outside a nearby noodle restaurant, Jet teetering his chair back precariously as he chatters on with his mouth full of udon. He's telling him a story about how Smellerbee ended up in jail on their way to Ba Sing Se, and there's a tax collector involved in it somehow, but Zuko's kind of tuning him out until he hears a familiar name. 

".....and then I was like, 'No fuckin' way, you're just sayin' that to get rid of me,' but he swore it was him! Can you believe it? He could have at least made his story _somewhat_ realistic, but getting mugged by the _Blue Spirit_? Come on, no one's stupid enough to buy that-"

"What?" Zuko interrupts. He's not sure he heard him right. It _can't_ be. 

"The guy told me he didn't have any money on him 'cause the Blue Spirit robbed him yesterday! Crazy, right?"

Zuko thinks of an ostrich-horse-drawn carriage, dual dao swords, a gold teapot, and Uncle's words about hope. 

"Yeah," he says. "Crazy."

"He was obviously lying, so I threatened him, and he _still_ didn't cough it up," Jet continues. "It actually seemed like he _had_ been robbed, but why the hell would he say the Blue Spirit did it? It made him sound like an idiot."

"You've heard of the Blue Spirit?" Zuko asks belatedly, amazed that stories of his stunt at Pohuai had traveled this far. 

Jet looks at him like he's grown a second head. "'Of course I've heard of him. Who hasn't? He's kind of a legend, at this point." He shovels more noodles into his mouth and goes on, "Not that I believe he's real. I think the ashmakers at that fort fucked up, and they needed some kind of cover story so that their superiors wouldn't have them burned at the stake or whatever they do to failures over there. Bet the Avatar just got out on his own. That kid's fast."

Zuko can't help but bristle slightly at that. The "burned at the stake" line hit a little too close to home. 

Jet notices his reaction, and his eyes dart to the scar for a split second. "Shit, sorry, Li. Didn't mean it that way."

Zuko nods in acknowledgment but doesn't say anything. He still has no idea what to do with apologies, no matter how small. It's not something he was ever accustomed to. 

"In the off chance that the Blue Spirit _is_ real, though," Jet says, "I wanna know what he's doing now. So he saved the Avatar. Great. There's been stories of sightings of him in the Earth Kingdom, but I'm positive those are just wannabes. If he's good enough to hold off an entire stronghold with a pair of swords - which I think is bullshit, by the way - why isn't he off assassinating the Fire Lord or fighting on the front lines?"

Good question, Zuko almost says. What _is_ he doing in this city? He's a fighter, not a tea server. He doesn't belong here. But neither does Jet, he supposes. Jet's a fighter, too. It's glaringly obvious in everything about him, from the way he moves, to the way he talks, to how he's always restlessly patrolling the city streets like he's searching for something. Neither of them are meant to live like this. 

Something seems to dawn on Jet, then, and he stares right at Zuko. "You fight with broadswords, right? What do you think? Is it possible to beat fort's worth of soldiers with only those and escape with the Avatar?"

Zuko's heart is suddenly pounding loud in his chest. This is why he _hates_ lying. No matter how hard he tries to keep his expression neutral and his posture casual, it's like his body is allergic to deception. 

"Um," he says. Nice. Very smooth. "Maybe. No."

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Jet agrees, either not catching or simply ignoring his unease. Zuko guesses it's the latter. Jet's almost scarily perceptive. 

"So, uh, what happened after you tried to rob the tax collector?" he asks, desperate to change the topic of conversation. He's pretty sure he'd give himself away somehow if they kept talking about this. 

Jet makes an exasperated noise as if the very mention of the incident annoys him. "I still didn't have enough money for bail! And we were trying to 'go straight', be law-abiding citizens and all that, but I had to sweet-talk some noblewoman into letting her guard down. Then I stole half the jewelry she was wearing..."

* * *

Zuko wishes he could tell Jet about his alter-ego. He's already hiding so much from him, and it's eating away at his conscience, day by day. And he knows Jet's caught on to the fact that he never discusses his past. He seems to be okay with that, though. From what the other boy's told him so far, Zuko's deduced that Jet doesn't exactly have a spotless backstory, either. Something involving his Freedom Fighters, a dam, and the Avatar. As intrigued as he is, Zuko doesn't press for details. It's a miracle that Jet himself hasn't asked too many questions. 

.... _Would_ it be so disastrous if Jet knew he was the Blue Spirit? 

Yes, yes it would, Zuko tells himself. He can't afford to take any risks here. The city's dangerous enough as it is. 

But the Blue Spirit's known for fighting _against_ the Fire Nation. Hell, he's even on a few wanted posters. Wouldn't that actually help his cause, convince Jet further that he's Earth Kingdom?

It's a lot to think about, and Zuko's tired. He rolls over on his sleeping mat and closes his eyes. 

* * *

The next day, Jet's back at the tea shop (not in his usual spot on the counter, though - Pao's glaring daggers at him). This time, he's with Smellerbee, and they're arguing animatedly about something. Smellerbee's gesturing with one of her many knives and at one point, she stabs the blade into the table out of frustration. Zuko drifts towards their table, curious in spite of himself. 

"Remember what we agreed on?" Smellerbee's not quite yelling, but she's pretty darn close. "No more of this whole vigilante thing! We're _starting over_ , and there's no ashmak- _firebenders_ in the city for you to fight! You gotta learn to let go, Jet!"

"I _am_ letting go!" Jet snarls. "Just by being here, in fucking _Ba Sing Se_ and not in the forest, I _have_ let go!"

"No," Smellerbee says. "No, you haven't. Where do you go every night? Why do you still wear armor and carry your swords everywhere? Why do you keep _stealing_ when you could just buy things instead? We're not soldiers anymore, we're refugees! Why can't you just, I don't know, get a job like Longshot did and try to live a normal life?"

Jet scoffs. "This city isn't _normal_ or safe like you think it is. I'm telling you, there's something up with the Dai Li. Why are they _everywhere_? Also, notice how no one ever talks about the war? What's up with that?"

Zuko used to ponder the same thing, but he's pushed it to the fringes of his thoughts. If the people of Ba Sing Se had decided to collectively forget the war existed, that was fine with him. 

"That's not your problem," Smellerbee says.

"Well _someone's_ gotta deal with it!"

"And that doesn't have to be you! Assuming there's anything to even fix, let someone else take the lead and fix it for once!"

"You _know_ that that's not how I work." Jet's tone is icy cold, but there's fire brimming beneath the surface. 

Smellerbee furiously yanks her knife out of the wood and stows it in her belt. "I _care_ about you, Jet! And I'm worried that you're gonna do something stupid and get yourself hurt, or worse!"

"Don't fucking patronize me," Jet snaps. 

Smellerbee pushes herself up from her seat, glares at Jet over her shoulder one last time, and storms out the door. 

Jet unleashes a string of colorful Earth Kingdom profanity under his breath, then looks up to meet Zuko's gaze. The venom in his obsidian eyes is a bit unnerving. "Don't tell me you're here to order me around, too."

"I'm not." 

"Good." Zuko didn't know there was an aggressive way to drink tea, but Jet pulls it off. He practically slams the teacup down on the table and replaces the stalk of wheat in his mouth before asking, "What're you doing tonight?"

"Nothing." That seems to be his answer for most of the things Jet asks him. Jet must think he has no personality. 

"You wanna do some more liberating?" 

_Liberating_. Knowing Jet, that could mean anything from pickpocketing random people on the street to staging a full-scale uprising against the ruling class. 

"No," he tells him firmly. Whatever Jet's planning, it can't be something Uncle would approve of. And Uncle's all he's got left. 

(A nagging part of his mind reminds him that Uncle would probably be happy that he's spending time with someone his own age. Zuko tells it to shut up.)

"C'mon, Li," Jet insists. "I know you're itching for some action. Besides, we work well together." He drops his voice down to a low whisper. "There's a rumor going around that a group in the Middle Ring is promising earthbender refugee kids food and shelter and then selling them into Dai Li training camps. I'm gonna go scout their base out later, see if I can get any concrete evidence on them. Just surveillance this time."

Zuko is very, very tempted, as much as he wants to deny it. Not because of some moral obligation to help out refugee kids, though that _is_ a factor, and definitely, _surely_ not because of the possibility of spending more time with Jet, but mainly by the promise of something to _do_. It's been suffocating, every day being split between his and Uncle's cramped apartment and the tea shop. He occasionally spars with Jet to blow off steam, and Jet is _good_ , but there's no real stakes or a goal to accomplish. 

Is it better to drown in boredom than to risk arrest, interrogation, and who knows what after that?

( _Can't get arrested if you don't get caught..._.)

He needs to shut this down before it goes any further. 

"Leave me alone. I can't go with you," he says, sounding a bit harsher than he intended. 

Jet just shrugs. "I know you want to," he replies confidently, and Zuko wonders how the other boy reads him so well when they haven't even known each other for a full month. "Look, I'm heading over there today no matter what, alright? If you wanna come, meet me there at sunset. It's two blocks east from the University, right next to a flower shop. Can't miss it."

He digs a few coins out of a pouch and sets them on the counter, then grins at Zuko. "Think about it, yeah?"

* * *

And Zuko _does_ think about it. More than he'd like to admit. 

He'll go. That much he's sure of. Jet got to him, and there's no changing that. _How_ is another question. He'll have to be really, really careful not to get caught. The higher up the chain of Earth Kingdom command, the more likely it is that people have heard of the banished Fire Nation prince with a half-scarred face. He's also made up his mind that he won't be at Jet's side; if Jet realizes that he was able to convince him once, he'll never stop pestering him to join his gang. And that's a definite _no_. He'll need to disguise himself somehow...

Well, there's a really obvious, easy solution for that, isn't there?

* * *

An hour before sunset, Zuko spots a figure leaping across the crowded rooftops of the Lower Ring. The agile movements and hooks strapped to his waist are unmistakable. Zuko slips on his mask and clambers onto the nearest food stall before trailing him, close enough to map out his next jump but far back enough to hide if necessary. 

Jet seems to be heading to the train station, which is no surprise. As impressively fast as he is, there's no way he could made it to the Middle Ring by sundown on foot. Once they get to the station, though, Zuko's unsure of what his plan is. Both money and legitimate documents are needed to buy tickets, and he's certain that Jet has neither. 

However, the other boy doesn't actually enter the station. He darts between the huge columns that hold the building aloft until he finds what he's looking for, which turns out to be a series of elevated ridges set into the rock like a ladder. He grabs onto the closest one and pulls himself up, then skillfully ascends the wall of stone. Zuko is reminded of the lemur-squirrels he used to chase around the palace gardens. 

Zuko follows, marginally less quickly, but he manages to get to the top of the column and to the ledge bordering the front of the station. The view is almost dizzying; he can't look down for more than a second without thinking about how every bone in his body would shatter if he fell from this height. Jet is nowhere to be seen. 

Suddenly, there's a loud rumbling noise, and air whooshes by him and nearly knocks him over. He can't see the train, but he can feel it grinding to a stop. There's an onslaught of footsteps and chatter as people shuffle on and off the cars, and then a series of _ding_ s, signaling the closing of the doors. Did Jet get onto the platforms from up here? That's impossible, the gap between the wall and the floor is far too wide, even for him...

Then the train starts moving again, and Zuko thinks he's missed his chance, when a blur of red vaults off the roof of the station and lands on _top_ of one of the train cars, rolling to disperse the impact. A couple of paces to the right, a stray gust of wind, a slight miscalculation and he would have died a sudden, violent death. 

Deep down, Zuko's suspected from the moment they met that Jet might not be entirely sane, but he doesn't fully grasp how utterly _crazy_ he is until then. Crazy might not be the right word, actually. Jet's smart enough to know the risks of what he's doing; he just doesn't care. He's _reckless_ , more like. Reckless to the point of insanity.

( _What about that time you decided to kidnap the Avatar and fight a waterbender in the freezing cold, at night, in the middle of a blizzard?_ a voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Uncle points out. _Wasn't_ that _reckless and a little bit insane?_ )

 _Fantastic_. That's yet another thing they have in common. 

He can't mull that over now, however. The train's hurtling by, gaining speed every second, and if he stalls any longer he'll have to wait for the next one. Zuko grips the rim of the roof with both hands and hauls himself up onto the clay tiles, and before he can convince himself that this is a terrible idea, he takes a few steps away from the edge, sprints forward, and uses the momentum to launch himself into the air. 

For one prolonged, dreadful moment, he's just _falling_. His stomach's overwhelmed with that weird tingly feeling, and then his feet hit the terra-cotta roof of the train car. He somersaults forward so his legs don't bear the full force of the landing, almost toppling off the train but catching his balance just in time. 

And he'd be lying if he said it wasn't absolutely terrifying, but he'd also be lying if he said he didn't revel in the thrill. For the first time in weeks, Zuko feels _alive_. 

* * *

By the time they get to the University stop, the train is nearly deserted; far more people live in the outskirts of the Middle Ring than in the center, and no one is coming to class at this hour. He watches Jet swing himself through an open window in one of the cars towards the front and copies him after a second. They both exit the station without any problems. Security's tight for getting _on_ the train, but apparently, no one gives a shit about who comes off. 

Predictably, as soon as he gets to street level, Jet immediately scales another building. Zuko doesn't understand why he needs to be so high up all the time but follows him anyway. They end up dropping down next to an innocent-looking storefront with a sign depicting a steaming bowl of soup, and Zuko hides in the shadows of a nearby alley while Jet jams the sharp hilt of his sword into the lock like he did on the ferry. With a small push, the door swings open, and he disappears into the dark interior. Zuko darts across the street and peers through the doorway. 

A wall of wooden crates obscures the rest of the room from view, but someone - probably Jet - has knocked over the top two boxes on the far right to create a path. Light shines through the gap, warm and irregular. Definitely a fire. Careful to keep his footsteps light, Zuko creeps towards it, leaning flat against the crates and sticking his head out a little to see what's beyond. 

Whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn't _this_.

The smell hits him first; smoke mixed with sweat and the familiar stench of bodies gone far too long without a bath. Then he spots the two dozen half-starved children crowded around a small bonfire, hands cuffed and ankles bound to the floor by iron shackles. Jet crouches by one of the older kids and cuts the cloth gag from her mouth while holding the chain between her wrists to the fire (whatever happened to "just surveillance"?). He's talking to the girl in a hushed, urgent voice, and every so often, he slices at the heated chain with his tiger head hooks. 

So the rumors were true, then. Something is very, very wrong with this city. 

"I'm gonna cut the handcuffs off," Jet's saying to the kid, "but I can't do anything about the locks, it looks like they were made to resist picking. You're gonna have to earthbend a key to free everyone else. Can you do that?"

She stares up at him, bright green eyes reflecting the flickering blaze of the fire. "I don't know," she whispers. 

"I think you can," Jet says. "We're all counting on you."

The girl nods and sniffles. "I miss my mom."

"I bet she misses you too. But if you wanna go back to her, I need you to step up and help me out here." The chain is beginning to glow a little, and in one smooth motion, Jet slashes through the metal with his sword. "Careful, the ends are hot. Is there any water around here?"

With her newly freed hand, the girl points to the far corner of the room, where there's a trough for animals like Zuko's seen in barns all over the Earth Kingdom. He feels sick to his stomach. They can't be forcing the kids to drink out of _that_ , can they? 

Jet grimaces, seemingly coming to the same conclusion. He jogs over to the ditch, scoops up water in his hands, and pours it on the girl's wrists. The metal hisses at it cools. 

"You ready?" he asks seriously. 

"....I guess," she mumbles. 

"You _guess_? C'mon, I need more than that."

"I'm ready," she says a little louder, tilting her chin up. 

Jet smiles. "That's more like it. Now show me what you can do."

The girl spreads her feet far apart in what Zuko recognizes as an earthbending stance, then lifts her arms to draw up a small piece of earth. She pushes it towards the keyhole on her ankle bindings, and slowly but surely forces it to mould to the shape of the lock while Jet works on removing the gags on everyone else. There's a sudden influx of noise as the children start talking in panicked whispers, some of them crying, but Jet hushes them with a stern look.

Finally, the earthbender girl jerks one arm to the side, and the lock clicks open. She stands up, rubbing her ankles, then twists the key out before bending another fragment of rock into a copy of the first and handing it to Jet. 

"Great work," Jet says, and the girl beams. "For now, don't worry about the handcuffs. Let's get everyone's legs free and get the hell out of here. Don't go to the guards, definitely don't go to the Dai Li, just go back to wherever you're staying and lay low."

There's a chorus of "yeah"s and "okay"s and "why?"s, but Jet doesn't elaborate. Between him and the earthbender, they make quick work of the rest of the cuffs, until several kids suddenly tense and exchange wide-eyed glances. 

"Dai Li," one of them says, and Jet whirls around to face him. "Underground. They're coming to check on us, I can feel it."

Jet curses. "Alright, no more waiting. If you're free, get out now. Back door. Don't stop running until you're sure you're not being followed and find somewhere safe to hide for the night, got it?" 

The children don't need to be told twice. Most of them scramble out an exit near the water trough, but five of them are still chained to the floor. The earthbender girl lingers for a while, but Jet gestures for her to go, leaving him by himself to hurriedly undo the shackles. Zuko almost steps foward to try and help before realizing that he won't be of any use at the moment. He doesn't leave, though, even as he knows the Dai Li will be here any minute. Consequences be damned, these kids deserve to escape, and he has a gut feeling that this is where he'll be needed to make that happen. 

When the shit inevitably hits the fan, the timing is so horribly _perfect_ that it's almost unbelievable. Just as Jet ushers the last child out, the very ground beneath them opens up and six Dai Li agents appear on a slab of rock. Jet kicks the door shut and draws his swords, determination set in his jaw. 

"You're too late," he informs them, all cockiness and certainty. "They're long gone."

The Dai Li remain stone-faced under their wide-brimmed hats. "Search the premises and the surrounding area," one of them orders. 

Two agents break into a run in Jet's direction while another pair head towards Zuko's hiding spot. He ducks behind the crates, but the sounds of battle travel through the barrier - the whizzing of rocks and the subsequent _crunch_ as Jet cuts through them. The pounding of heavy footsteps grows louder and louder, and Zuko realizes with a start that the kids won't stand a chance if even one agent gets out. He makes his choice. 

Launching off the boxes, Zuko catches a split-second glimpse of the fight in front of him before his foot connects with an agent's chest. Jet's somehow holding off three Dai Li at once, although he's losing ground; one of his hands is trapped in an earthen fist, so he's hooked both swords together, swinging them in a wide arc even as he's backed against the wall. As the Dai Li agent stumbles back from the force of Zuko's kick, Jet glances up for an instant and locks eyes with him. He opens his mouth like he's about to say something, but the Dai Li shoot more stone projectiles straight towards his face and he has to roll to the floor to dodge them.

Zuko, meanwhile, has his own problems to deal with. The agent he attacked first has recovered, and he joins his partner in trying to apprehend him. They send more fists of rock hurtling in his direction, which Zuko simply deflects with his twin blades as he lunges forward. He swipes one sword under the helmet of an agent and then slams the hilt of the other into his scalp, knocking him out. Another man attempts to earthbend a tunnel leading out of the building, but Zuko disrupts his stance by swiping his feet out from under him. His head hits the floor with a dull _thwak_. 

Jet's wrenched his arm out from the cuffs and he slides between an agent's legs, joining Zuko in the middle of the room. Their distraction seems to have worked - all four remaining agents ignore the exits and turn towards the two of them, fists clenched by their sides and ready to strike. 

"We gotta buy a little more time," Jet hisses out of the corner of his mouth. "Wait for my signal, then let's get out of here."

Zuko nods reluctantly - since when does he take orders from _Jet_? There's no time to complain about that, though. The Dai Li are relentless, sending wave after wave of rocks flying through the air. Zuko and Jet stand back to back, ducking and dodging and swinging, occasionally charging forward to hook an ankle or swat at an arm. At one point, Zuko parries a strike that would have hit Jet square in the ribs, and Jet does the same for him not even a second later. And as much as he doesn't want to admit it, they _do_ work well together. Jet's vicious, scrappy style of fighting perfectly complements his own more polished approach. 

After a few minutes of back-and-forth, Jet yells, "Now!" and they each charge towards an exit, taking out an agent in the process. Zuko hurdles over the boxes and flings the front door open. Fresh, chilly night air fills his lungs, and then Jet's next to him, matching his stride. 

"Rooftops," he says, climbing on a fruit stand that's covered for the night. "The further away from earth we get, the better."

Zuko follows a few paces behind him, all the way to the train station. The Dai Li have either lost their trail or given up on tracking them; the Middle Ring is not as lively as the Lower Ring at night, but there are enough civilians around to get lost in the crowd. Jet finds another column with a built-in service ladder, and they sit on the bright green roof of the station with their legs dangling off the edge, waiting for the train to arrive. Zuko's not entirely sure why he's still with Jet. He could have departed on his own once they were in the clear - he _should_ have left - but here he is, high above a foreign city with a boy he shouldn't have brought himself to care about. 

"It's nice," Jet says after a while. Zuko thinks he's talking about the view until he continues, "Having someone who can keep up, y'know?"

Zuko _does_ know. Azula was always one step ahead of him, and she was always oddly possessive of Mai and Ty Lee, so he never really got to know them outside of them being "Azula's friends". And after he was banished, all he had was Uncle and his crew members. He's never had someone like Jet before: not a rival, or a mentor, or a subordinate, but an _equal_ who treated him as such. Someone to steal food, tell stories, make fun of customers, run across rooftops with. 

Someone like a friend. 

Jet leans in close to him, and the wheat stalk in his mouth lightly brushes the cloth covering his ear. 

"You can take the mask off now, _Li_."

Zuko jerks away and scrambles back. _Shit_.

Jet merely raises an eyebrow. "Or keep it on, if you want. Fine."

Zuko doesn't move a muscle. 

"Seriously?" Jet demands, mock offended. "You thought I wouldn't notice? Gimme a break, I'd recognize that form anywhere. You always sit like you've got a stick up your ass. And besides, you're the only one I told about where I was going, besides Smellerbee and Longshot."

Slowly raising a hand, Zuko pushes the Blue Spirit mask up so it rests on top of his head. No point in trying to hide his identity now. 

Out of all the things he could have said to make an excuse, "I do _not_ sit like I've got a stick up my ass" is what comes out. Jet laughs at that, slides closer to him, and jostles his shoulder good-naturedly. 

"Yeah, you do. It's kind of hilarious. But anyway, I didn't know you were one of those Blue Spirit impersonators. You really bought into the whole thing, swords and all, huh?"

It's kind of ( _extremely_ ) insulting that Jet thinks he's a fake, and Zuko decides: fuck it. What's the worst that can happen?

"I'm not an impersonator," he says. "I broke into Pohuai Stronghold and rescued the Avatar. I'm the original Blue Spirit."

Jet gawks at him. "No fucking way," he says, tone both disbelieving and reverent. 

"Yeah, that was me," Zuko says, feeling a bit awkward. 

"No _way_ ," Jet says again, this time more excitedly. "That's so fucking _cool_." Then his eyes narrow a bit, suspicious. "Wait a second. Have you been holding back when we spar?"

Zuko frowns. "No, never. Does it seem like I have?"

Jet's lips curl into his signature shit-eating grin. "Nah. But if we're even, that means _I'm_ good enough to fight off a whole fort of ashmakers, too. Fuck yeah."

".... _t_ _hat's_ your takeaway from this?"

"Yep." 

Zuko shakes his head. "You're a mess."

"Maybe, but you like it," Jet teases, and for once, Zuko doesn't argue. 

**Author's Note:**

> I made a [tumblr](https://wheatboyapologist.tumblr.com/) \- come talk to me and feel free to drop requests or prompts for this series!


End file.
